Megaspora verrucosa (Ach.) Arcadia & A. Nordin

Taxon, 61: 465, 2012 (nom. cons prop.). Basionym: Urceolaria verrucosa Ach. - Lichenogr. Univ.: 339. 1810.
Synonyms: Amygdalaria verrucosa (Ach.) Norman; Aspicilia verrucosa (Ach.) Körb.; Lecanora urceolaria (Fr.) Wetmore; Pachyospora verrucosa (Ach.) A. Massal.; Pertusaria freyi Erichsen; Urceolaria scruposa var. verrucosa (Ach.) Schaer.
Distribution: N - Frl, Ven (Caniglia & al. 1999, Nascimbene & Caniglia 2003c, Thor & Nascimbene 2007, Nascimbene 2008c), TAA (Nascimbene & al. 2006, 2022, Nascimbene 2008b, Hafellner & al. 2012), Lomb (Dalle Vedove & al. 2004), Piem (Isocrono & al. 2004, Morisi 2005, Matteucci & al. 2013), VA (Piervittori & Isocrono 1999), Emil (Fariselli & al. 2020), Lig. C - Tosc (TSB 16387), Marc (Nimis & Tretiach 1999), Umb (Genovesi & al. 2001, Ravera & al. 2006), Laz, Abr (Nimis & Tretiach 1999, Di Nuzzo & al. 2021, Gheza & al. 2021, Vallese & al. 2022), Mol (Nimis & Tretiach 2004, Caporale & al. 2008, Genovesi & Ravera 2014), Sar. S - Camp (Aprile & al. 2003b, Garofalo & al. 2010), Bas (Nimis & Tretiach 1999), Cal (Puntillo 1996), Si (Ottonello 1996).
Description: Thallus crustose, white to pale grey-green, continuous to warted, more or less densely white-pruinose, often not well-delimited. Apothecia frequent, cryptolecanorine-aspicilioid, immersed in thalline warts, up to 1.5 mm across (usually less), with a black, initially pore-like then expanded, concave to finally flat, rough but epruinose disc, the black colour expanding to the margin, forming a dark halo; thalline margin thick, smooth, whitish to grey, darker in inner part, pruinose. Thalline exciple with numerous small crystals; proper exciple thin, of strongly conglutinated, vertically aligned hyphae; epithecium olivaceous green to partly grey-black, N+ bright green, the darkest parts K+ brownish, without crystals; hymenium colourless, 80-120 µm high, I+ blue; paraphysoids coherent, branched and anastomosing, slender, c. 1.5 µm thick, the apical cells not markedly thickened; hypothecium colourless to yellowish. Asci (4-)8-spored, clavate or cylindrical-clavate, thin walled except towards the apex, with a K/I+ pale blue tholus, Biatora-type. Ascospores 1-celled, hyaline, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 30-60(-65) x (16-)20-42 µm, the wall 1.5-2.5 µm thick. Pycnidia rare, dark, immersed. Conidia thread-like, up to 12 µm long. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: thallus K-, C-, KC-, P-, UV-. Chemistry: Chemistry: thallus without lichen substances; apothecia with the Caesiocinerea-green pigment.
Note: a circumpolar, arctic-alpine lichen found on mosses and plant debris over calciferous ground in open situations, with optimum above treeline but descending to lower altitudes in dry-continental areas; common both in the Alps and in the Apennines. For nomenclatural matters see Arcadia & Nordin (2012).
Growth form: Crustose
Substrata: soil, terricolous mosses, and plant debris
Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia
Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: common
Subalpine belt: extremely common
Oromediterranean belt: rather rare
Montane belt: very rare
Submediterranean belt: absent
Padanian area: absent
Humid submediterranean belt: absent
Humid mediterranean belt: absent
Dry mediterranean belt: absent

pH of the substrata:

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Solar irradiation:

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Aridity:

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Eutrophication:

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Poleotolerance:

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Altitudinal distribution:

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Predictive model
Herbarium samples


P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 04
TSB 37339



P.L. Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (34512)
2002/01/17



P.L. Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (13247)
2001/11/26



Juri Nascimbene - CC BY-SA 4.0; Owner: ITALIC - Dyades Project - Dept. of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Bolzano/Bozen, Sciliar/Schlern
2007


Erichsen C.F.E. 1936. Pertusariaceae. - In: Dr. L. Rabenhorsts Kryptogamenflora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. Bd. IX, Abt. 5, T. 1. Akad. Verlagsges., Leipzig, pp. 321-512, 513-728. - Public Domain



P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 37340



P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 37340



P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 37338



P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 37340



P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 42471



P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 42471



P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 42471



P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 37340



P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 37339


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_A/Textes_A2/Aspicilia_verrucosa.htm
France, Mont Cenis - Haute-Savoie
8/8/2013


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_A/Textes_A2/Aspicilia_verrucosa.htm
France, Mont Cenis - Haute-Savoie
8/8/2013


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_A/Textes_A2/Aspicilia_verrucosa.htm
France, Mont Cenis - Haute-Savoie
8/8/2013


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_A/Textes_A2/Aspicilia_verrucosa.htm
France, Mont Cenis - Haute-Savoie
8/8/2013